Who is in the Virgin River cast? Netflix sure does have a knack for producing shows that keep us coming back for more, and after five seasons of Virgin River, it’s safe to say the characters feel like family to us.
Virgin River is one of the best Netflix series to date, with a story that covers drama, romance, and even a little bit of crime (gasp!), and it’s brought to life by some of the best actors on the small screen. So, now that Virgin River season 5 is out of the way, let’s really get to know the stars behind our favorite characters, shall we?
The main Virgin River cast and characters
There are tons of faces in this hit drama series, but let’s start with the top dogs of the Virgin River cast below.
The main Virgin River cast list:
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe
- Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
- Daniel Gillies as Mark
- Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton
- Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
- Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea
- Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins
- Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts
- Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes
- Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie
Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe
Alexandra Breckenridge plays the part of Mel in the Netflix series, a nurse from Los Angeles who moves to the quiet community in search of a fresh start.
Besides playing our main gal in Virgin River, Alexandra Breckenridge has had plenty of success in some of the best TV series in the past. She famously portrayed Sophie in This Is Us and is also a seasoned horror actor, having appeared in some of the best horror series such as The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and True Blood.
However, TV isn’t her only forte; Breckenridge has been announced to be part of the cast for the upcoming thriller In Limbo, in a leading role. Of course, she will also be back for Virgin River season 6 — it just wouldn’t be the same without her!
Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
As important as Mel is to the show, Virgin River also needs the heartthrob bartender to stand by her side, of course. Martin Henderson plays the part of Jack Sheridan in the series, the ex-Marine bar owner who suffers from PTSD. He is Mel’s love interest and, after season 4’s events, her confirmed baby daddy too!
Henderson began his acting career at the age of 13 and has appeared on TV series such as Strangers, House, and Grey’s Anatomy. Away from TV, he has starred in a number of films such as Everest and the A24 movie X, as Wayne Gilroy.
Daniel Gillies as Mark
Virgin River is packed with drama, and Mark has been at the center of most despite being… well, dead. We often see Gillies as the character via flashbacks, as Mark is Mel’s deceased husband.
Besides haunting Mel’s memories in Virgin River, Gillies has appeared on a number of hit shows. Fans may recognize him as the vampire Elijah in the fantasy series The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. He’s also appeared in Spider-Man movies, playing John Jameson in Spider-Man 2 (it seems that playing the hunky ‘other man’ is his thing).
Gillies has also gone behind the camera in his career. In 2012 he wrote, directed, and starred in the movie Broken Kingdom along with his ex-wife Rachael Leigh Cook. In 2018, he directed an episode of The Originals too.
Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton
Colin Lawrence plays none other than Jack’s Marine BFF and cook, Preacher. But don’t let his culinary skills fool you; Preacher has been a leading character throughout the show and, in the past, has wound up drugged and kidnapped.
Along with returning to Virgin River season 5, Lawrence holds a number of credits to his name – especially those of the sci-fi persuasion. He famously played Skulls in the rebooted Battlestar Galactica sci-fi series and appeared in iZombie.
You may also recognize him as Coach Clayton from Riverdale or from his role in the DCU movie Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder.
Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
The community’s resident troublemaker, Dan Brady, is played by none other than Benjamin Hollingsworth. For those of you who aren’t up to date with Dan’s legal issues in Virgin River, the gun used to shoot Jack in season 2 ended up in dear old Dan’s car (Spicy, isn’t it?).
Brady had a bit of a rough time in season 5… but we won’t divulge that here just in case you’re not caught up.
Over the years, Hollingsworth has appeared in thriller series such as CSI: Miami, Once Upon a Time, The Tomorrow People, and Code Black. However, he is most well-known for his role on Suits as Kyle Durant.
Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea
Despite not appearing in Virgin River season 3, Annette O’Toole was back as Hope McCrea in season 5 (yay!). Hope is the proactive Mayor of Virgin River, who, when she isn’t meddling for the greater good, also has a romantic relationship with Doc.
O’Toole has had a long-running career in film, TV, and even music. In 1983, she played Clark Kent’s love interest, Lana Lang, in Superman III. In the ’90s, she starred in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s IT, and in 2001, 18 years after her role in Superman, she went back into the DC world, playing Martha Kent in the TV series Smallville.
On top of her busy life as an actor, O’Toole also has a musical partnership with her husband, Michael McKean. One of the tracks the two wrote together, titled ‘A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow’, was nominated for an Oscar for the movie A Mighty Wind.
Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins
Doc Mullins is the surly doctor of Virgin River, who, let’s just say, wasn’t best pleased when Mel first moved into town. While there has been hints towards him retiring due to health issues, the doctor has stuck around through the five seasons of the show.
Before he was the good doctor, Matheson had an impressive career on screen and behind the camera as an actor and director. As a performer, Matheson has won two Emmy Awards for his role in one of the best drama series ever, The West Wing. Other credits include Hart of Dixie, Child’s Play, Red Line, and No Strings Attached.
On the directorial side, Matheson has been helming episodes of Virgin River since 2019 and has led episodes on acclaimed shows such as Suits, Burn Notice, Criminal Minds, and Lucifer.
Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts
Mel’s memory of Mark isn’t the only thing causing trouble in her and Jack’s relationship. Charmaine Roberts is Jack’s ex, who revealed that after seasons of speculation, Jack isn’t actually the father to her twins (Gasp!). Honestly, though, we’re just glad she’s finally given birth to the little nippers, and put an end to the longest pregnancy of all time.
Lauren Hammersley plays the part of Charmaine in the Netflix series, but this isn’t her first rodeo in TV and film. Hammersley began acting at the age of 12 after appearing in an ad campaign for Fantastic Sand Surprises (if you are a ’90s kid, that was the toy you were never allowed).
Since then, she moved to star in shows such as Mr D, Saving Hope, and the clone series Orphan Black. On top of her on-screen experience, Hammersley also worked as a full-time photographer.
Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes
Joey is Mel’s older sister, who lives in Los Angeles. She pops up from time to time in Virgin River but mostly can be found worrying about Mel and trying to find ways to make her come home. Joey has a cautious personality, and Mel later finds out that Joey appears to be having marriage problems. While Mel is freer and more willing to try for a new life, Joey isn’t so happy to take risks.
She’s played in the cast by Jenny Cooper, a Canadian actress who first got her start in the popular Canadian TV series Jake and the Kid. Since then, she’s appeared in almost all the major small screen adventures out there, from Monk, 24, and The Ghost Whisperer, to NCIS, Bones, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie
Connie’s niece Lizzie moves to Virgin River to live with her aunt after a bit of a troubled past. Quickly taking a liking to Ricky and trying to move on from the shoplifting incident that brought her under Connie’s wing, Lizzie perhaps isn’t always the best when it comes to choices, but she’s growing!
Sarah Dugdale is best known for R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour from 2010, Death of a Cheerleader, and murder thriller Hollow in the Land, but Virgin River is her biggest role yet. Born in 1995, she still has lots in front of her, and a spot on a hit Netflix show probably won’t hurt her chances of landing more roles!
The full Virgin River cast list
Below is the full list of every credited actor in Virgin River. So brace yourself, folks.
The complete Virgin River cast list:
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe
- Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
- Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton
- Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes
- Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts
- Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea
- Tim Matheson as Vernon “Doc” Mullins
- Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
- Grayson Gurnsey as Ricky
- Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie
- Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan
- Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela
- Mark Ghanimé as Dr. Cameron Hayek
- Kai Bradbury as Denny Cutler
- Daniel Gillies as Mark Monroe
- Lexa Doig as Paige Lassiter
- Chase Petriw as Christopher Lassiter
- Lynda Boyd as Lilly
- Nicola Cavendish as Connie
- Ian Tracey as Jimmy
- David Cubitt as Calvin
- Teryl Rothery as Muriel
- Gwynyth Walsh as Jo Ellen
- Steve Bacic as Wes and Vince
- Carmel Amit as Jamie
- Chad Rook as Spencer
- Patrick Sabongui as Todd Masry
- Lucia Walters as Julia
- Stacey Farber as Tara Anderson
- Barbara Pollard as Melissa Montgomery
- Melinda Dahl as Stacie Monroe
- Trevor Lerner as Bert Gordon
- Susan Hogan as Rose
- Elise Gatien as Lara
- Paolo Maiolo
- Kandyse McClure as Kaia
And there you have it, the cast of Virgin River in its entirety. For more binge-worthy content, here is the cast of Bridgerton and the Game of Thrones cast. Or, for more information on Virgin River, here’s a breakdown of the Virgin River filming locations.
If you are keen on upcoming releases, be sure to check out our guides going through all the new movies coming to the big screen in 2023 and the best movies of all time. Or you can go over our guides on everything we know about the Stranger Things season 5 release date or Wednesday season 2, as well as find out what’s new on Netflix this month. We’ve also got a breakdown of all the Netflix codes you could possibly want.